Action-packed kaiju film.

Rating: 7/10 (5 March 2014)

This is an action-packed sci-fi film that brings back kaiju monsters onto the Big Screen. Here, we have monstrous creatures rising from the sea and begins a war that threatens to destroy all the world's resources. To defend humanity, massive robots called Jaegers, controlled by two pilots, were created to battle the kaiju. Thus, former pilot Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) and trainee Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) team up to defeat the apocalypse.
Hunnam and Robert Kazinsky, who plays Chuck Hansen, were the two actors who basically saved the film. They had substance in their acting performances and gave the film some heroism and sensitivity, counterbalancing the overly corny and trying-to-be-funny acts by Burn Gorman and Charlie Day. Idris Elba's performance as Stacker Pentecost was as stiff as a sore neck and Mori's character looked like a deer-in-the-headlights in numerous scenes. Her role did not suit her well. Ron Perlman's awkward Hannibal Chau character was pathetically thrown in for marquee value, serving no purpose in the movie.
Aside from the mostly lame acting, this movie did have some very sophisticated special effects and the monster battles were well executed - very fun to watch. The action kept the plot's pace going and kept the audience engaged. Add in some doses of heroism and drama and it makes this a watchable film.
Grade C+